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Whether you're planning your children's future, buying a house or just making sure your wishes are clearly stated, we can help you take care of your will.

Enduring Power of Attorney (Northern Ireland)

An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) allows you to appoint one or more attorneys to manage your property and financial affairs if you become unable to manage them yourself or lose the ability to communicate your wishes, possibly as a result of ageing, mental incapacity or physical incapacity.

This document allows you to nominate up to two attorneys - you could have more but most people don't for practical reasons. Where you have more than one attorney you have to decide whether they should act jointly (one cannot act without all agreeing) or jointly and severally (where they can act together or independently of each other if necessary). Your attorney(s) can use their powers immediately after the EPA is signed - it only needs to be registered in the case of mental incapacity.

You can, however, specify that the EPA is to be used only if you become unable to manage your affairs in the future.

If the attorney(s) believes you are, or are becoming, mentally incapable they must register the EPA with the High Court. There is a fee associated with this and a strict registration process to follow.

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An Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) allows you to appoint someone to act as your attorney to manage your affairs if you become unable to manage them yourself or communicate your wishes, possibly as a result of ageing, mental illness or physical incapacity.

This document allows you to nominate up to two attorneys. Your attorney(s) can use their powers immediately after the EPA is signed, or if you would prefer, you can specify that the EPA is to be used only if you become unable to manage your affairs in the future.

If the attorney believes you are, or are becoming, mentally incapable they must register the EPA with the High Court. There is a fee associated with this.

Before registering your Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA), notice must be given to you, at least three of your relatives and any attorney who is not applying. This EP1 document creates the required notice (EP1) before an EPA can be registered.

This document should only be used for EPA’s created in Northern Ireland and only if one or two attorneys are registering the EPA.

Attorneys of an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) created in Northern Ireland should use this document to register the EPA. A separate fee will be payable to the Office of Care and Protection (OCP). You can find details of the fees payable on the OCP’s website.This registration should take place as soon as the attorneys believe that the donor is becoming mentally incapable. Before this registration can take place, you must give notice of your intention to register the document and can do so by using the document EP1 - Notice of intention to register an EPA (Northern Ireland).

This document can be used to register an EPA only if one or two attorneys are registering the document, with the option of one co-attorney who is not registering the document.

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* The legal review involves our wills specialists reviewing the answers you provided when completing your document questionnaire. It provides comfort that if you properly execute or sign your document it will comply with legal formalities and meet the requirements you specified.

Jargon buster

'Will'

The legal document witnessed by two witnesses in which you say what is to happen to your possessions on your death.

'Domicile'

The country you consider to be your permanent home for tax purposes, even if you actually reside elsewhere. It is distinct from nationality and place of residence.